Could it be cartilage damage?

[danjohnson10]

For two years I biked every day, covering over 5,000 miles, mainly commuting and not exerting myself. Then I stopped for a year and didn't resume until this past June. This time though I biked for exercise (15-30 miles at ~16-17mph). Only about a month after resuming biking I started feeling pain in my right knee. But there was never any pain while biking, only in the following days. It was very mild, and I felt it most when I would twist my leg at the knee to the right, or for example maintain pressure on the gas pedal of my car for extended periods. And now I've discovered that it is most pronounced when I try to do leg curls at the gym. My mistake though was in thinking that because I never felt pain while biking that whatever it was, I might be able to rehab it by exercising it on the bike. So, rather than taking it easy, I would bike even faster, and in high gear. It got worse though, allowing me to finally draw the connection. I then read somewhere that pedaling hard in high gear is a way to wear down your cartilage. Am I describing pain from cartilage damage? How do I rehab it? I used to do a bit of squatting (powerlifting), but haven't in a long time. Could squatting actually help? Or make it worse? Again, I never experience pain while cycling, but in the days following the pain is as described, and even after taking a couple weeks off there is still a tiny residual discomfort if I twist my knee a certain way. How long to recovery?

Thank you!

 

[maydog]

Leg curls, extensions place high, unnatural loads on the knee and may not be a good choice. Other exercises, such as squats and lunges stress the joint and muscles in a more natural manner and should be better for the joint. Generally, lower stress, low impact exercises such as cycling at a higher cadence are going to be the most beneficial.

A orthopedist should be able to assess your joint health (cartilage thickness) with simple X-rays and offer suggestions for dealing with the pain.

 

[Froze]

No wonder your knees hurt after commuting everyday for 5,000 miles! I know you didn't mean that but it sounded funny!!

I think you found the problem and don't realize it...the leg curls. Stop the leg curls for about a month and see if the knee gets better. If it gets better and your not bothered by pain for at least 2 weeks then resume the leg curls BUT with minimum weight, then slowly once a week increase the weight, but I recommend not to go as high in the weight as you are now. Instead of trying to curl maximum weight 8 or 10 times work on instead half the weight 20 to 30 times. But as soon as you start to feel any discomfort cut the weight back down.

Also during this month off don't do leg presses either. When you resume these cut way back on the weight and slowly build up and use higher reps instead of higher weight. I wouldn't do squats or lunges either during this time, natural or not it's putting stress on a already stressed out knee.

Obviously if the knee doesn't get better after being off the curls and presses for a month, or when you resume and the pain comes back then go see a knee specialist doctor, don't waste your time and money going to your family doctor.

 

[danjohnson10]

Thanks. I will try to take it easy for a few more weeks, and slowly get back into squatting before finally getting back on the bike. And to clear something up, I'm not doing leg curls. When I began to get worried about the discomfort I thought it might help to build leg strength at the gym (prior to the knee problem I hadn't been to the gym in many months). But after 2 sets of leg curls the pain was too much and I decided not to do them anymore.

 

[jhuskey]

My guess is Meniscus issues but that's just a guess from a person that has seen this in myself and others and not a medical opinion.
You need to know your boundaries live and exercise within those boundaries. Soft tissue and joint degeneration under the knee cap does not discriminate due to age since it can start early in life. When you get older they all it arthritis.

 

[davereo]

My guess would be torn ACL and MCL with a monor miniscus tear. Check to see if there is a local elctrolosis hair removal clinic operated by an unlicensed illegal alien in your community. They can use their equipment to stimulate the blood vesels in knee to help eliviate the pain. Also by having the hair removed you should reduce the air drag on your legs making it easier to ride to work. If this fails to provide you with relief you may want to ask an auto mechanic what they think.

 

[danjohnson10]

Originally Posted by davereo .

My guess would be torn ACL and MCL with a monor miniscus tear. Check to see if there is a local elctrolosis hair removal clinic operated by an unlicensed illegal alien in your community. They can use their equipment to stimulate the blood vesels in knee to help eliviate the pain. Also by having the hair removed you should reduce the air drag on your legs making it easier to ride to work. If this fails to provide you with relief you may want to ask an auto mechanic what they think.

Your sarcasm isn't appreciated. It goes without saying that any advice should be taken with a grain of salt. But that doesn't mean that there's no value in the responses.

 

[davereo]

Originally Posted by danjohnson10 .



Your sarcasm isn't appreciated. It goes without saying that any advice should be taken with a grain of salt. But that doesn't mean that there's no value in the responses.

I worked with a guy who was taking medical advice from other co-workers to save a few bucks on his co-pays. The shop floor diagnosis was cyatic nerve. The death sentence was liver cancer.

 

[alienator]

Originally Posted by davereo .




I worked with a guy who was taking medical advice from other co-workers to save a few bucks on his co-pays. The shop floor diagnosis was cyatic nerve. The death sentence was liver cancer.

Man, you're cynical. I bet next you're going to say that NASA shouldn't be consulting with astrologers about when it's best to launch missions. It's a proven fact that the best, most reliable place to get medical advice is on internet forums. Second best is from complete strangers on the street or at a debate ("The HPV vaccine made my daughter retarded."). The only time a doctor should be consulted is when you or someone you met online can't make the incision or complete the surgery without help.

 

[jhuskey]

I told my doctor I had a torn ACL. He didn't think so. After an MRI the diagnosis was a torn ACL and both Meniscus torn and folded.

Originally Posted by davereo .

My guess would be torn ACL and MCL with a monor miniscus tear. Check to see if there is a local elctrolosis hair removal clinic operated by an unlicensed illegal alien in your community. They can use their equipment to stimulate the blood vesels in knee to help eliviate the pain. Also by having the hair removed you should reduce the air drag on your legs making it easier to ride to work. If this fails to provide you with relief you may want to ask an auto mechanic what they think.

 

[Froze]

Originally Posted by davereo .

My guess would be torn ACL and MCL with a monor miniscus tear. Check to see if there is a local elctrolosis hair removal clinic operated by an unlicensed illegal alien in your community. They can use their equipment to stimulate the blood vesels in knee to help eliviate the pain. Also by having the hair removed you should reduce the air drag on your legs making it easier to ride to work. If this fails to provide you with relief you may want to ask an auto mechanic what they think.

That was uncalled for man. The guy had a legitimate concern and you spout off like your drunk making no intelligent sense at all even misspelling a bunch of words. Maybe the next time you have legitimate concern someone will treat you like that and see how you feel, of course if your drunk it may not bother you.

 

[davereo]

Originally Posted by Froze .



That was uncalled for man. The guy had a legitimate concern and you spout off like your drunk making no intelligent sense at all even misspelling a bunch of words. Maybe the next time you have legitimate concern someone will treat you like that and see how you feel, of course if your drunk it may not bother you.

Just a little hung over any advice?

 

[davereo]

Originally Posted by Froze .



That was uncalled for man. The guy had a legitimate concern and you spout off like your drunk making no intelligent sense at all even misspelling a bunch of words. Maybe the next time you have legitimate concern someone will treat you like that and see how you feel, of course if your drunk it may not bother you.

All of this and no spelling errors. I am impressed. FWIW the spell check on this site for some reason doesn't work on my desk top at work. Along with a few other punctuation features. No big deal I can live with it.

 

[jhuskey]

A hangover is a warning sign of low alcohol which is a symptom of a very serious condition, Sobriety. Don't ignore the warning signs and wait until it is too late.

 

[swampy1970]

Sounds like a mild case of overuse injury. Take a break (but skip the kit-kat) and ice it. Some mild anti inflamitories for a couple of days wouldn't go a miss either. If you have cycling shoes with cleats the check that the cleats are in the correct place for you now. Just because they were two years ago doesn't mean that they are now. It'd only take a mild tightening of the external hip flexors to make you want to pedal more toe out or a tight Psoas from sitting to much to jack things up in the pedalling dept. When it feels better give it a few more days rest and then get back on the bike. Once you've done a couple of weeks and are confident you're riding pain free the think about starting the weights again. If you start back doing both at the same time it'll be almost impossible to find the root cause. If it's not a mild overuse injury then it's probably some incurable tropical disease that'll require amputation from the lumbar spine down.

 

[Froze]

Originally Posted by davereo .

Just a little hung over any advice?

Does this sound like a sober statement? What does that mean? do tell.